Maurer, Jerry L.: - Jerry L. Maurer grew up on a hardscrabble farm in the Appalachian Mountains. Born into a family of outdoorsmen, he learned to love hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. He enjoyed the stories of the mountain men interacting with the indigenous cultures and became a fan of westerns and science fiction. Upon moving his family to Colorado and finishing a Master's degree, he worked on several ranches learning to ride, rope and shoe horses. Subsequently, he spent many years leading horse trips, packing gear and guiding youth into the Colorado wilderness. His studies of the Anasazi and other indigenous cultures and many hours around a campfire gave rise to this historical fiction of life among the hunter/gatherers before the coming of the Europeans.